Oriental rugs are the product of great skill and craftsmanship. For millennia they have been venerated by princes and kings as pieces of fine art. But oddly enough, they are one of the few artistries that can be produced by more than one pair of hands.

Of course, bestselling books have been written by duos, and Rembrandt’s workshop helped with certain paintings, but oriental rugs such as the Spring of Khosrau (a 6th century rug kept in Iraq, woven with silk, gold, diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones) or the Ardabil carpets (a pair of rugs woven in the 16th century, 17’6″x 36’6″ with 300 knots psi) have stood the test of time and are regarded as exemplary while being crafted by who knows how many hands.

Rug weaving is a relatively thankless job next to the other arts, where individual genius is glorified. Most rug weavers do not sign their name in the rug, and have no way to let their patrons know who they are. For this reason there is a certain mystique about Persian rugs, tied into Eastern philosophy. One does not weave Persian rugs to seek fame, but weaves beauty because it is representative of life’s totality, the good and evil, heights and lows, woven into every experience.